So I know this has probably been covered many times but new here and haven't found anything yet on this subject. Recently dug a new pond a little shy of 1 acre surface area averaging 7-8 feet in depth. Pond was very muddy from the exposed clay banks. Added around 2000 lbs of hydrated lime back in February. Pond began to clear up nicely I also added a gallon of the blue dye as a recommendation from the fish farm with it being a flocculant would also help clear up the water. All of this had the water clearing nicely with about 18-20 visibility until all of our recent rains in the south. Pond has risen around 4 feet since all this was done and is now sitting at full pool but is very cloudy again the grass around the edges is almost at 100% coverage. Pond has not been completely stocked yet as I have only added 10 lbs of fatheads and around 60 bass an bream from a neighboring pond. Question is i am wanting to clear it up a little more before I stock with Coppernose an next year Largemouth. And have been researching the ALUM y'all speak of on here I have found it locally but was wondering how safe it is for the kids to swim in as they are chomping at the bit to jump in. Any info or recommendations is greatly appreciated!! Thanks
I would suggest using the Hydrated Lime again, without alum. Kill the fish you stocked and write off the fatheads. Also, your fish farm was wrong about Dye being a flocculant...it only colors the water. After you have added enough Hydrated Lime, your pond will go crystal clear, and everything will be dead. Wait about 2 weeks, restock with Fathead Minnows again, and the stocking plan similar to esshup suggested. I will add that if wanting bigger bass, let your FHM reproduce at least one full year, and stock your YOY LMB at around 2" and your BG/CNBG at 4". The FHM will produce a LOT of forage for young bass. Also consider Gambusia, Thredfin Shad, and Golden Shiners if wantng "big bass".
Stocking a "few" random size/numbers of Bass and Bluegill makes it virtually impossible to stock accurately toward any chosen goal. 60 bass and 60 bream? or 60 of a random combination? FHM will only feed LMB that are about 6" long or smaller. Bigger LMB burn equal to or more calories eating/chasing FHM than they can get out of them as a food source. If you stocked 60 each of bream/bass, the bass have no food and are starving.
To answer your question about Alum, which I am an expert on, No, it will not harm your fish or be unsafe in any way as long as your pH is never below 5.4. Alum needs to be applied properly to be cost effective, but Hydrated Lime and starting back off the way you want is still your lowest cost route!
I'll be clearing a deep 3 acre LA pond in west central LA soon.
PS..EC is electrical Conductivity. Unlike stated earlier, I know of no correlation with pH and flocculants other than some flocculants function better at a certain pH. The 2:1 application of Alum/Hydrated Lime is pH neutral, yet an outstanding flocculant.
